Malila: The Farewell Flower (2017)

Malila: The Farewell Flower: Directed by Anucha Boonyawatana. With Sukollawat Kanarot, Anuchit Sapanpong, Sumret Muengput, Akekarad Khalong. Former lovers Shane and Pich reunite and try to heal the wounds of their past. Shane is haunted by the tragic death of his daughter, while Pich suffers a grave illness. As death approaches, Pich dedicates his remaining time to making Bai Sri, a ceremonial ornament. Meanwhile, Shane decides to become a Buddhist monk until one night at a graveyard, he encounters his lover in another form.

“This is a story in 2 acts, that are almost separated from each other. Backstory: Shane and Pitch were lovers. Pitch left the village for the city, but Shane refused to follow. Instead, Shane married, saw his daughter die, and his wife left him because of his drinking. Now they reunite, with Pitch dying of cancer. Rejecting medical treatment as painful and ineffective, Pitch feels better when he creates structures of flowers and banana leaves. Meanwhile, Shaneu0026#39;s offering is to become a Buddhist monk, to build karma for Pitch to either keep him alive or to help in his afterlife.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAct 1 is the love story. Act 2 is Shaneu0026#39;s learning to be a travelling monk, following a veteran in collecting alms, learning to concentrate in meditation, and spending nights in the forest, frequently suffering thru rainstorms. It may make better sense to someone who is Buddhist, who can better accept a philosophy of the impermanence of all things, but I just had trouble emotionally connecting the 2 parts.”